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PAGANS!

Data. I’d been planning to write something about ‘the pagans’ for a while.

UK Hip-Hop culture has started to use ‘pagans’ as derogatory slang, as an insult. I’m not down with that.

I would summarise paganism as nature worship, although the term has been used to describe everything from wiccans to Druids. The dictionary definition is even broader – a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions.

So using ‘pagan’ as an insult is offensive. It’s prejudice. If people used Muslim, Christian or Jew as an insult there would be uproar. I don’t describe myself as a Pagan, but I am friends with people who do.

I suspect, but I don’t know, that the anti-pagan movement stems from Rasta culture which has it’s roots in Christianity (or at least in The Bible.) That’s not a diss to rastafari either. I respect the rasta movement, the ital living and the words of Emperor Haile Sellasie Ras Tafari. I just think that not all pagans should be under the same label as the ‘babylonians’ because the Celtic pagans suffered at the hands of the Romans too. The anti-pagan movement’s probably also got roots in badly researched conspiracy theory documentaries. In short – There is a vast difference between the pagans who worship nature who are generally nice people and the Satan-worshipping politicians who were friends with Jimmy Saville.

In some ways paganism is quite logical and scientific – the Sun gives us life, the Earth gives us life. But I don’t describe myself as pagan because my spirituality is inspired by buddhism, Christianity, Druids and taoism to name a few.

Some of my pagan friends would have a problem with Christianity because historically the Catholic church murdered pagans allover the world, from South American shamans to Celtic Druids. Some of my Christian friends would have a problem with pagans because they have a problem with anything that’s not Christian to put it bluntly.

Now I’m not someone you can put in a box. I walk a narrow path. The pagans will be angry that I claim Christian influence but go to Stonehenge, the Christians will be angry I claim Jesus as an inspiration despite knowledge of a handful of solar deities that were resurected after 3 days like the sun on the solstice (Zeitgeist summarises it well.) Pissing people off is just an inevitable consequence of being open minded and not being a follower.

But the simple fact is most people calling people pagans don’t know what the word means and the rest don’t literally mean ‘nature worshippers’, they’re just calling you a twat.

But hey, a facebook status isn’t gonna change street slang, but it might make me feel a little better.

(This is still a big tune and a sick video and Dizzee still has one of the best flows in the UK, I don’t care whose hot right now or whose sending for who…)

post-script –

Had a thought the other day – being a pagan is one of the most patriotic things an Englishman can do. Because that’s what their ancestors were before they had Christianity forced on the ancestors that survived the Roman invasion. When they sing “God save the queen” they’re basically saying “may the Middle-eastern God forced upon my Celtic ancestors by Italian Roman invaders save the German queen who owns half the planet and therefore probably never needs to be saved from anything.” But I’m just sat here sipping this tea. (And God save the Queen cos Mi5 answer to her and have probably killed for less).